In casting around for a novel to nominate this time around, I picked up a book that my friend Garth had told me about. Garth took creative writing classes with Marshall Klimasewiski as an undergrad at Washington University in St. Louis, and after reading Klimasewiski's book The Cottagers, Garth recommended it to me as "a novel of psychological suspense so preposterously well-written that it almost loses sight of its own plot." Once I had read the book, Garth and I talked about it and I was able to share his surprise that it hadn't received more attention upon its publication last summer.
Perhaps some of the reason for this lack of attention is that at first glance the book appears to be a novel of relationships. It is centered on a pair of couples - academics with too much money and time and on vacation in a remote nook of Vancouver Island, no less; the sort of story that the New Yorker has made us tired of, that type of book seems to crowd our shelves.
But into this moody mix, Klimasewiski throws a firecracker in the form of nineteen-year-old Cyrus Collingswood, a boy with a Holden Caulfield-sized chip on his shoulder. Cyrus the "townie" is simultaneously a savvy chameleon and achingly naïve, and in intersecting with the lives of these self-absorbed academics, these "cottagers" wandering into sleepy East Sooke for an extended stay are changed forever.
From the opening pages, when we first meet creepy Cyrus, peering through the brush at his new temporary neighbors, we know something terrible will happen, but it is how events play out, how the characters intersect and spin apart and come back together that make this book terrific. The ending, in particular, is astonishing. With characters that are brilliantly written but hard to love, the book will bring on oddly satisfying cringes and pangs and groans; I'm glad to have found The Cottagers and even more pleased to recommend it.
Klimasewiski is a courageous writer: he foresakes all
outmoded authorial traits like wit, style, and excitement
in order to delve deeper into uncharted realms of banality.
The finest exponent of the Jack Webb ("Just the facts, ma'am"_
School of Literary Tedium.
Posted by: Offenbach Stutz | Mar 16, 2008 at 02:56 AM
http://www.batterylaptoppower.com/hp/presario-x1200.htm hp presario x1200 battery ,
Posted by: batteries | Oct 09, 2008 at 07:42 PM
http://www.batterylaptoppower.com/compaq/presario-1400.htm compaq presario 1400 battery ,
Posted by: laptop battery | Oct 11, 2008 at 10:22 PM
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/compaq/n600.htm compaq n600 battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 25, 2008 at 08:21 PM
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/compaq/n600c.htm compaq n600c battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 25, 2008 at 08:22 PM
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/asus/s5000a.htm asus s5000a battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 27, 2008 at 10:58 PM
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/asus/s5a.htm asus s5a battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 27, 2008 at 10:59 PM
http://www.batteryfast.com/acer/travelmate-2000.htm acer travelmate 2000 battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 28, 2008 at 08:42 PM
http://www.batteryfast.com/acer/batbl50l6.htm acer batbl50l6 battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 29, 2008 at 07:31 PM
http://www.batteryfast.com/acer/aspire-5100.htm acer aspire 5100 battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 29, 2008 at 07:31 PM
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/asus/a32-s5.htm asus a32-s5 battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 30, 2008 at 11:06 PM
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/asus/s52n.htm asus s52n battery,
Posted by: herefast123 | Oct 30, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Do you want to buy some laptop betteries,you can see it from http://www.adapterlist.com/hp/presario-x1200.htm hp presario x1200 battery ,It's very cool.
Posted by: yanhong | Feb 26, 2009 at 11:15 PM
I like those kinds of reads - sounds great, I'll definitely check it out.
Posted by: premature ejaculation treatment | Sep 10, 2010 at 10:29 AM
well ,i angee with you!
Posted by: Accessories | Oct 25, 2010 at 07:59 PM
A BEAUTIFUL BOOTS. ugg knightsbridge boots YOU ARE WORTH IT.FREE SHIPPING.
Posted by: ugg knightsbridge boots | Oct 27, 2010 at 07:21 PM
Wow! It's really so beautiful.... really I enjoyed to be reading your blog.... Keep posting such an interesting information.
Posted by: edegra | Nov 01, 2010 at 01:57 AM
Perhaps this book doesn't receive much attention because the author is not very famous yet
Posted by: Winstrol | Feb 01, 2011 at 04:57 AM
Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!
Posted by: Home Decor | Mar 11, 2011 at 04:05 PM
lot of good information, I come here all the time and am very happy with your updates, Thank you!
Posted by: Skin Care Products | Mar 14, 2011 at 10:01 PM
Wow, this is the best site I’ve ever read. Thank you for sharing this.
Posted by: Hudson Jeans | Mar 14, 2011 at 10:04 PM
I adore your site very much. Will bookmark. Keep up to great work on it. Thank you
Posted by: Chocolate Gift Baskets | Mar 14, 2011 at 10:06 PM
Hola,
Ha hecho un trabajo muy bueno. Hay muchas personas en busca de eso ahora van a encontrar suficientes fuentes por tus consejos, Careprost
espera para obtener más consejos acerca de que
Posted by: Generic Cialis | Mar 18, 2011 at 12:23 AM
The Cottagers is a fantastic book, I read a few months ago and wow, I was really in to the book, I read it very fast.
Posted by: generic viagra | Apr 08, 2011 at 10:01 AM
grea post i like it
Posted by: ズファジラン | Apr 27, 2011 at 03:12 AM